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Keeping our beaches clean

  • by JW

Surfers Against Sewage warn about the discharging of untreated sewage

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The Sidmouth and East Devon beaches continue to be very clean and well looked after:

Sidmouth beach wins first-ever Blue Flag award thanks to community effort

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However, we cannot be complacent…

At the height of summer, we were being warned about sewage on our beaches:

Warnings for 107 beaches across UK including Blackpool and Bognor Regis as heavy rain causes sewage to leak into sea | thesun.co.uk

Pollution risk warnings for beaches in Devon and Cornwall – Cornwall Live

‘Two sewers discharge into the sea’ – campaign group advises people not to swim at Somerset beaches – Somerset Live

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The Surfers Against Sewage have been campaigning against this for a long time:

Water Quality • Surfers Against Sewage

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And they have just released their findings:

The Sewage Emissions Scandal Continues: SAS Water Quality Report Released

Our 2020 water quality report reveals that water companies are still routinely discharging raw, untreated sewage into UK waters, polluting the environment, and placing people’s health at risk.

The Sewage Emissions Scandal Continues: SAS Water Quality Report Released • Surfers Against Sewage

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This has been widely reported in the national media:

Surfers Against Sewage report warns of ‘open sewers’ seas – BBC News

Raw sewage dumped near English and Welsh beaches 3,000 times in one year, report finds | The Independent

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Meanwhile on the Exe Estuary, as reported today by Daniel Clarke:

Calls to suspend licence allowing waste dredged from Exmouth Marina to be dumped at sea

Teignmouth residents were outraged in 2018 when its beaches suddenly turned black because the spoil was being disposed of nearby Sprey Point. And following angry protests, the Marine Maritime Organisation (MMO) suspended a licence that MarineSpace Ltd, on behalf of Exmouth Marina Ltd, had been granted for maintenance dredging and disposal of 10,000 tonnes of materials. But in September the MMO lifted the suspension and consented Exmouth Marina Ltd to restart dredging operations…

Calls to suspend licence allowing waste dredged from Exmouth to be dumped at sea

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photo: SAS_WestonSuperMare_SallyLow